iMotor and iBE Replacement

The iMotor series, including the iBE, iSM and all related iMotor accessories, were obsoleted July 31^st, 2008. Sales Discontinuation Notice SD805 on the Parker extranet gives more details on iMotor obsolescence.

This FAQ gives some options for iMotor replacement. There is no direct replacement for the iBE series of integrated servomotor/drive/controllers. The suggested upgrade path is to use the IPA drive/controller with a BE motor and PS cables. The closest equivalent IPA drive/controller and BE motor model number combinations are listed in the table below. As with all replacement situations, the application requirements will need to be carefully reviewed to determine the most suitable replacement product.

Suggested iBE Replacement Options

P/N	Description	Suggested Replacement
IBE230F-NN	Size 23, 1/2 stack, 2000 line encoder, integral drive/controller	BE230DJ-NPSN with IPA04-HC *
IBE231F-NN	Size 23, 1 stack, 2000 line encoder, integral drive/controller	BE231DJ-NPSN with IPA04-HC *
IBE232F-NN	Size 23, 2 stack, 2000 line encoder, integral drive/controller	BE232FJ-NPSN with IPA04-HC *
IBE233F-NN	Size 23, 3 stack, 2000 line encoder, integral drive/controller	BE233FJ-NPSN with IPA04-HC *
IBE341_-NN	Size 34, 1 stack, 2000 line encoder, integral drive/controller	BE341GJ-NPSN with IPA04-HC *
IBE342_-NN	Size 34, 2 stack, 2000 line encoder, integral drive/controller	BE342HJ-NPSN with IPA04-HC *
IBE343_-NN	Size 34, 3 stack, 2000 line encoder, integral drive/controller	BE343JJ-NPSN with IPA04-HC *
IBE344_-NN	Size 34, 4 stack, 2000 line encoder, integral drive/controller	BE344JJ-NPSN with IPA04-HC *
		* Also requires F-1A1-XX and P-1A1-XX cables

iBE Accessories and Suggested Replacements

Accessories	Description	Current Equivalent
PS500W120-48-SHNT	500 watt, 120VAC in, 48VDC out, 10A power supply w/ 100W shunt	Not required
PS500W240-48-SHNT	500 watt, 240VAC in, 48VDC out, 10A power supply w/ 100W shunt	Not required
PS1000W120-48-SHNT	1000 watt, 120VAC in, 48VDC out, 10A power supply w/ 100W shunt	Not required
PS1000W240-48-SHNT	1000 watt, 240VAC in, 48VDC out, 10A power supply w/ 100W shunt	Not required
ISHUNT	100W shunt w/ bracket and mounting hardware	Not required
71-020710-05	Power/communications cable, flying leads, 5ft	Not required
71-020710-10	Power/communications cable, flying leads, 10ft	Not required
71-020711-05	15 pin I/O cable, flying leads, 5ft	VM25-MC-02
71-020711-10	15 pin I/O cable, flying leads, 10ft	VM25-MC-02
71-020911-15	15 pin I/O cable, isolated 24VDC, 15ft	VM25-MC-02
71-025161-15	15 pin I/O cable, isolated 24VDC, pin G input 15ft	VM25-MC-02
71-025162-15	15 pin I/O cable, isolated 24VDC, pin G output 15ft	VM25-MC-02
VM15	15 pin breakout board, includes 2ft shielded cable	VM25-MC-02
ICONN-KIT	Mating iBE pins and connectors	N/A

Some of the advantages of upgrading to the IPA and BE servo motor are given below.

Better Performance

The IPA is a digital, sinusoidally commutated drive versus the iBE, which was a trapezoidally commutated drive. The IPA will give smoother motion with much less torque ripple than the iBE.

More Torque

The integrated design limits the performance of the motor due to heat dissipation limitations. Motor and drive waste heat have to be dissipated from the motor's mounting surface. This limits the overall amount of torque that the integrated combination can produce. The equivalent BE motor paired with the IPA is capable of producing 50-200% more torque than the comparable iBE. The more efficient thermal dissipation, along with the more powerful drive, allows most applications to use a shorter BE motor with the IPA.

Higher Reliability

The IPA drive/controller is a full-fledged standalone product which has a much lower field failure rate than the iBE series. In addition to the better reliability, the IPA is easier to replace in the event that it does fail since it is not mounted in the tight spaces where motors are often placed.

24V I/O

Rather than relying on a separate 5-24V converter cable, the IPA drive/controller accepts 5-24V I/O directly by providing both legs of the I/O to the user.

Upgrade Your Application

The IPA drive/controller is a much more capable motion control platform than the iBE series with gearing (also known as following), camming, multitasking, additional processing power, robust Ethernet communications, Add-On Instructions to help it integrate with Rockwell PLCs, VB/VB.NET/VC++/C# libraries, expansion I/O options and more. For users who would like to push their application beyond the capability of the iBE, the IPA drive/controller paired with a BE motor is an excellent upgrade path.

Users who would like to migrate to the IPA and BE can get more information by contacting their local Parker Electromechanical and Drives distributor. Users who are not in contact with a distributor can contact the Parker Electromechanical and Drives Applications Department using the contact information below.

Phone: 707-584-7558

Email: emn.service@support.parker.com

You can view the specifications for the IPA drive/controller and BE motor clicking the images below.